There must be at least 5 different journals lying around my family home filled with maybe 10 pages tops of writing from different stages in my childhood when I decided that I wanted to keep a journal. Each time, I’d get really excited about the idea of having a place to write down my ideas, thoughts and feelings, and then I would always lose interest after a short while.
So when I wanted to give it another go this past April, I came up with some strategies to keep myself motivated to write every day. And it’s worked! I’ve written nearly every day since then, so I now feel semi-qualified to be writing this article and dropping a couple tips and tricks for anyone who might need some help to keep up their journalling:
- Pick a Part of Your Day That You Can Regularly Set Aside to Wrie
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By having a certain chunk of time that you consistently reserve for writing, it helps establish it as a habit. It becomes just like any other part of your daily routine, as normal as brushing your teeth.
- Set a Reminder on Your Phone
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Having a reminder on my phone was really helpful particularly for your first couple of months journalling. It’s easy to forget to write before you’re used to doing it every day.
- Switch Up Your Journal Entries Regularly
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Writing big, long paragraphs about your day can get a little repetitive, so it’s good to throw in some doodles or to jot down some goals for the month to mix things up a bit.
- Use Some Fun Pens and Decorations
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Who wants a perfect, cohesive journal anyway? Throw in stickers and pops of colour whenever you feel like it!
- Read Back Through Old Entries
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Once you’ve been writing for a while, it’s really cool to go back and read what you wrote months and months ago. It’s nice to read about a really great day that you had forgotten about or to see how things have changed over time.
I hope some of these tips and tricks will motivate you to give journalling another shot, because, for me, it’s become a really valuable part of my day, as a sort of reflective meditation. But everyone has a different reason for doing it, and I encourage you to explore whichever style fits you best. Good luck! :)